Charmed in Vegas Paranormal Romance Boxed Set (Charmed in Vegas)
Michelle Fox & Anna Lowe & Bella Roccaforte & Bethany Shaw & Jennifer James & Katalina Leon & Missy Lynn Ryan & Tabitha Conall & Vella Day
Chapter One
Excerpt of Bad Potions
Michelle Fox
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Sometimes love is a bad potion that won't be denied.
Marion is a witch on a death list and Aidan is a sexy but cursed elf on the wrong side of the Fairy Queen's favor. Their attraction could be fatal, but it also won't be denied.
In this excerpt, Marion is on the run with Aidan, looking for safety. Her life is on the line, and unbeknownst to her, time is running out to break Aidan's curse. Once they have a minute to breathe, the sparks really begin to fly...even though Marion's not sure she can trust Aidan. What if he's working for the mage who wants her dead?
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Aidan pulled up to a quaint log cabin nestled under the gentle arches of an oak grove. The trees loomed tall with broad trunks, a size that spoke of immense age. Marion stared up at them, her mouth an ‘O’ of awe as Aidan popped the trunk and grabbed their bags.
Opening the front door, he said, “We should be safe enough here. No one knows about this place except for my family.”
Cold fingers of foreboding ran up her spine at his words. No one knew how to find her and she had no idea if she could trust Aidan. A horrible thought had struck on their getaway drive to the cabin: What if Aidan was really her evil ex Eric? Which meant she'd just been kidnapped with no hope of rescue.
She'd been so panicked when Eric had called and said he was coming for her, she hadn't questioned Aidan's offer of help. Now it was too late.
Aidan nodded toward two oversized arm chairs, a leather sofa, and a brick fireplace. “That's the living room. Back here is the kitchen slash dining room.” He pointed through an archway where Marion caught a glimpse of dark granite kitchen counters and maple cupboards. “There should be food. I called the Brownies last night. They should’ve stocked the fridge and the pantry.”
“You have Brownies?” Marion asked, curious. She’d never seen one before, but their housekeeping skills were legendary. More importantly, Eric wasn't Fey and wouldn't have Brownies. Then again, Eric would say anything to get what he wanted, and if that didn't work, he wasn't shy about using his magic.
“Yes. My mother’s cousins.” Heading down a dark hallway opposite the kitchen, he said, “The bedrooms and bathroom are over here.” He opened a rough pine door and dropped her bag inside. “This will be your room.”
Marion peered around Aidan to see a single bed with a plain blue comforter. A table, also made of pine, stood next to the bed and held a lamp and alarm clock.
“I’ll be over here.” Aidan turned to open the door across the hall. She followed him into a much larger room with a much bigger bed. A forest green comforter covered his bed and dark cherry tables flanked each side. The window on the back wall let in sunlight and showcased the beauty of the woods around the cabin.
“Nice.” She eyed the bed, which looked to be a king in size. “That’s an awfully big bed for one person.”
He grinned at her. “Well, maybe I won’t be alone.”
Marion swallowed. They way he looked at her sent a flush of heat through her body, but she didn't trust it. She had no idea if Aidan was who he said he was. It would be just like Eric to worm his way into her life and lull her into a false sense of security before locking his hands around her throat. Marion looked at Aidan and wracked her brain, trying to figure out a way to be safe. If only she knew the spells that would break an illusion, but those classes came after Potions. Everything she needed came after Potions.
It was as if Eric had set up the curriculum for her degree.
She had no magical knowledge to defend herself with except a few healing potions and a love potion that was a good stand-in for a grenade. At that, Marion brightened for a moment. She could always mix up a batch of exploding love potions and use that as a weapon. Except she hadn’t brought any of the ingredients with her.
Drat.
Then she remembered the mole. Eric had a large one on the side of his right cheek. It rose up from his skin just enough that she should be able to feel it. She didn't need a spell to break an illusion, she just had to get close enough to touch him and she would know if Aidan was real or not. Illusions didn't hold up to contact.
Simple, right? Unless it was Eric in disguise, in which case she'd be awfully close to someone who wanted to kill her.
With a deep sigh, she squared her shoulders and shored up her courage. She had to know, one way or the other. If she waited and it was Eric, that just gave him more time to make sure she never got away again.